San Diego  Hit with yet another sex crimes investigation into one of his officers, San Diego Police Chief Bill Lansdowne said Saturday he is seeking an outside auditor to take a hard look at how the department handles misconduct and how it can better weed out rogue cops.

“We are very concerned about the case,” Lansdowne said in an interview.

“It’s all about public trust,” he said. Having an independent audit would “make sure everyone is on board and show how committed we are to doing the right thing.”

The arrest last week of Officer Christopher Hays, who is accused of inappropriately touching or forcing women to perform sex acts, opened old wounds in a city trying to heal from a rash of officer misconduct in recent years, including the 2011 sex corruption case of Officer Anthony Arevalos.

The latest allegations trouble hardworking officers who don’t want to be stereotyped — and the detectives who again have to investigate one of their own.

The case also raises questions about whether enough is being done by the chief and his top brass to ensure officers are behaving.

Lansdowne’s proposed audit would look at the handling of misconduct cases, recruiting, the backgrounding process, ethics training and the internal affairs system. The audit could take from six months to a year and a half, and potentially cost $80,000 to $200,000. The final report would be made public.

The city gave the chief permission to seek bids from two groups — Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit organization, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, which operates under the U.S. Department of Justice. The directors of both groups told Lansdowne Saturday they could begin putting proposals together next month.

The chief will present the proposals to the City Council for final approval.

A pattern of misconduct

At least nine officers were investigated for criminal conduct in the first half of 2011, allegations that ranged from off-duty domestic violence and DUI to on-duty rape of a prostitute.

The actions of Arevalos were the most shocking. A jury convicted the traffic officer for a pattern of using his authority to elicit sexual favors from women he stopped. He is serving more than eight years in prison.

The city has so far paid $2.3 million in claims to Arevalos’ victims, and has paid $170,000 to settle lawsuits from three female officers claiming a sexually hostile work environment.

In 2012, traffic Sgt. Kevin Friedman, who was Arevalos’ supervisor, resigned after pleading no contest to destroying the traffic citation of a prosecutor friend.

In another instance, the son of a police captain got a ride part way home rather than to jail, after he was accused of drunkenly groping two women and punching a third. Months later, officers were accused of trying to delay a DUI crash investigation to help a gang detective sober up.

The investigation into Hays began just before Christmas, when a woman reported that he inappropriately frisked her after he drove her home.

Police went through all of Hays’ previous contacts with women and found three others who detailed similar behavior. When reports hit the news media, two more came forward, including one who said Hays forced her to perform a sex act with him.

One of the alleged victims filed a claim against the city Friday, saying Hays fondled her during a frisk after he drove her home, said her attorney, Brian Watkins.

Hays, 30, was arrested last Sunday on suspicion of misdemeanor sexual battery and false imprisonment. The District Attorney’s Office has not charged him and is continuing to review the case. Hays has denied the allegations.

Fixing the force

Some of the audit would look at the programs Lansdowne put into place following the Arevalos scandal — reforms he said are working.

Increased supervisor training, a revamped discipline manual, a bolstered internal affairs unit, a wellness center for officers and an anonymous complaint hotline have all succeeded, he said.

Even so, Lansdowne said he’s continuing to work on getting citizens and officers to report suspected wrongdoing by cops.

Because of the latest case, the department intends to begin next month random spot checks of interactions officers have had with the public to see if they acted appropriately, gave good customer service and provided citizens with the right resources. It’s another way to keep officers honest, Lansdowne said.

“If an officer is involved in criminal activity, we don’t hesitate to do what we need to do,” the chief said.

Department records show internal investigations have increased, from 103 in 2011 to 169 last year.

But, some question whether it has been enough. Both the Arevalos and Hays cases have led one female community leader, who is working with the department on separate allegations of racial profiling, to say she fears some officers are also sexually profiling.

“Who is going to stop for a police officer?” asked Lei-Chala Wilson, a retired deputy public defender and president of the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “I’m not stopping.”

Some, including lawyers suing the city on behalf of one of Arevalos’ victims, are calling for an outside monitor to run the department and right the ship, a step that goes beyond an audit.

Several departments during the past few years have been placed under these types of independent examinations including in Oakland, New Orleans, Newark, Seattle and most recently New York.

“I don’t believe we are at that level at all,” Lansdowne said about the suggestion of a monitor.

A huge trust

Police officers should never forget the oath they take voluntarily that holds them to a higher standard, said Brian Marvel, president of the San Diego Police Officers Association.

“We’re one of the few government entities that can take away your liberty temporarily, or permanently by using force. ... That’s a huge trust,” Marvel said. “We swear an oath. I hope people who do this job, when they come here, that means something to them.”

He said the scandals have been disheartening to the vast majority of officers who serve with distinction every day in an incredibly challenging job.

Still, good officers sometimes hesitate to call out a questionable cop when they see one, a product of police culture that veteran officers say is getting better.

“Even in cases where there’s a strong culture of accountability, the police profession is very insular and there is a strong pressure against speaking out against a fellow officer,” said Brian Buchner, president of The National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.

Lansdowne’s executive assistant chief, David Ramirez, stressed that the department is moving forward from weaknesses that were highlighted by the string of misconduct cases in 2011.

“This is not a resurgence,” said Ramirez. “I’ve never seen a time like that in this department.”

Young force

Police officials trace some of the misconduct issues to the department’s increasingly young force.

Assistant Chief Shelley Zimmerman said 49 percent of the department’s patrol officers have been on the force six or fewer years. On the other end, roughly 900 officers — that’s about half of the 1,850-person department — are eligible to retire in four years, according to the police union.

Marvel said that mentoring is crucial but fading fast. A good deal of police work involves an officer alone in a car, having to make judgment calls all shift long. Whether to ticket someone or give a warning. To take someone to jail or not. To spend more time on a certain call or to clear to the next.

Some officers say that when it comes to hiring recruits, the department tends to “weed them in” rather than eliminate the troublesome candidates. It’s a claim made about Officer Hays, who is married to the daughter of police Capt. Mark Jones.

The chief said that is not true, and denied any assertions of favoritism.

Zimmerman, who oversees hiring, said Hays passed the state-mandated standards at the police academy like every other officer. The four-year veteran was “rephased” during field training, meaning he needed more training in certain areas and was prevented temporarily from moving on to more responsibilities, but Zimmerman said that is common with new officers — whether it’s needing more experience listening to the police radio, driving or writing reports.

“Standards are standards,” she said. “It’s the same standards as anyone else. You may not pass, you may get a second chance, then there’s no exception.”

SDPD not alone

Attorney Dan Gilleon, who represents two of the women who have lodged complaints against Hays, said he does not think the San Diego Police Department is unique in its issues when compared to other large law enforcement agencies.

“Men in power behave badly,” Gilleon said.

And weeding out all misconduct is impossible.

“You have to choose (officers) from the human race. There will always be a small percent of bad conduct,” said Keith Enerson, who retired from the San Diego force in 1999 as an assistant chief.

“I believe a majority of the members of the department would, and do, report misconduct when they see it. I don’t think the department’s going to hell in a handbasket.”

There is mixed opinion about how much the chief should be blamed for his officers’ misconduct.

Wilson, the NAACP leader who has met with the chief about the racial profiling complaints, acknowledged that Lansdowne can’t control the behavior of every rank and file officer.

“It’s not always coming from the top, but that’s where the buck stops,” she said.

Lansdowne has had strong allies during his 10-year tenure. Some of his top supporters have included District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Sheriff Bill Gore, but both declined to weigh in on the department’s situation for this story.

Chula Vista Police Chief David Bejarano, who served as San Diego’s chief from 1999 to 2003, described Lansdowne as progressive and hardworking, pointing out the programs he’s already put into place to prevent misconduct.

“Chief Lansdowne is well respected throughout the state and the nation,” Bejarano said.

Lansdowne has also taken controversial stands, including supporting medical marijuana and needle-exchange programs. He made news this month for putting his support behind a law to make nonviolent crimes misdemeanors, including drug possession for personal use. The proposed ballot measure is sure to draw critics, especially in law enforcement circles, but he isn’t backing down.

He is working on the proposed law on his own time, not as chief.

Lansdowne’s future boss, Mayor-elect Kevin Faulconer, will be meeting with the chief and police union in the coming days to discuss the misconduct issues, his spokesman said Friday.

“Being chief is a tough job,” Lansdowne said. “You have to have an iron will and a lot of confidence.”